Station-indicator.



PATE'NTED MAY 7, 1907.

on UTZ. I

STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIQATION FILED NOV.1,1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY '7, 1907.

G A. UTZ. STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 1, 1900.

2 SHEETB-SEEET 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFll OE.

STATION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1907.

Application filed November 1, 1906. Serial No. 341,653..

T 0. whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. UTZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station-Indicators,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in street or station indicatorsfor use on street cars, railway cars, and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andeflicient device of this character which may be readily operated by theconductor or motormanof a car to indicate the streets or stations asthey are ap proached.

Further objects and advantages of my invention, as well as thestructural features by means of which they are attained, will be madeclear by an examination of the specification, taken in connectionwith'the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numeralsindicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im proved indicator; Fig. 2 is afront elevation with the front of the casing removed; Fig. 3 is a sideelevation with the side of the casing removed, the pawl and ratchet feedmechanism for the indicator apron being shown in its normal position infull lines and in its actuated position in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is avertical sectional view, parts being broken away to show thespring-pressed bearing for the tension roller of the indicator apron;and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail perspective views of one of the pawls ordogs and of the lever which carries them.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes the outer casing orcovering of the improved street or station indicator for cars, or thelike. This casing may be of any desired form and construction, and maybe suitably secured at one end or any other convenient part of a car. Asshown, the casing is rectangular in form and has in its front a sightopening 2 covered by glass so that the names of the streets or stationsupon an indicator apron 3 may be seen. This apron has its ends securedto and wound in opposite directions upon upper and lower rollers 4, 5which have their shafts 6, 7 j ournaled in two similar side plates 8 ofa frame suitably mounted within the casing 1. Said plates are connectedat the rear by bars 9 which have their ends seated in dovetailedrecesses in the plates. The apron is adapted to be wound upon one of therollers as it is unwound from the other, and said rollers are caused tomove together by a pair of meshing gears 10 fixed upon the adjacent endsof their shafts. The apron or belt 3 also passes over a tension roller11 which takes up all slack and holds the stretch of the apron passingacross the sight opening 2, substantially vertical. This tension rollerhas its journals mounted in bearing'blocks 12 which'islide in guides 13formed in the side plates 8 and which are forced outwardly by springs14, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

One end of the shaft 7 of the lower winding roller or drum 5 is extendedthrough the adj acent side of the casing 1 and carries a knob or handle15 by means of which the rollers may be turned in either direction toset the apron so that the desired name appears in the sight opening 2.The apron is also actuated in either direction by pulling upon cords orother flexible elements 16 attached to the upper arm 17 of a bell-crank18. The latter is pivoted upon a stud 19 projecting from one of theplates 8 and has its arm 17 projecting through a slot in the top of thecasing 1. The other two arms 20 of the bell-crank are connected by cordsor similar flexible connections 21 to twoprojections or arms 22 providedupon dogs or pawls 23, 24, which latter coact with a ratchet-wheel 25secured upon the shaft 7. These pawls are pivoted at 26 upon theopposite ends of a lever 27 which is in turn pivoted at its center uponthe shaft 7 between the wheel 25 and the adjacent side plate 8. Theprojecting arms 22 are secured to the pawls by set-screws 28 and theycarry inwardlyprojecting pins or studs 29 which enter arc-shaped slotsor recesses 80 formed in the lever 27. The provision of these pins andslots limits the movement of the pawls. The pawls are held normally outof engagement with the ratchet-wheel by springs 31 secured at one oftheir ends to studs upon the lever 27 and having their other free endsengaged with the screws 28. The lever 27 is held normally in itshorizontal position by two leaf-springs 32 which may be formed integral,if desired. These springs, as shown in Fig. 3, are secured to a block orprojection 33 arranged upon one of the side plates 8, and their freeends 34 bear upon the upper edges of the ends of the lever 27. The,

swinging movement of the latter is limited by two stop pins 35projecting from the adj acent plate 8 and adapted to be engaged by thepawls.

In order to notify the passengers of the car each time the device isactuated, I preferably arrange upon one of the plates 8 a bell 36 andprovide hammers 37 for the same upon the arm 17 of the bell-crank 18. Itwill be seen, upon reference to Fig. 3, that when the lever 0rbell-crank 18 is moved in either direction, the hammer 37 will strikeand sound the bell 36.

In operation, one or the other of the cords 16 is pulled by theconductor or motorman after the car passes each street or station, sothat the apron is moved in the proper direction to cause the names ofthe streets or sta tions along the route of the car to successivelyappear in the sight opening of the casing. When one of the cords 16 ispulled the bell-crank 18 is rocked so that one of its lower arms 20 iselevated. This movement of the arm 20 swings the pawl to which it isconnected into engagement with the ratchetwheel and the continued upwardmovement of the arm 20 then causes the winding rollers to be turnedsufficiently to bring the name of the next street or station before thesight opening 2. The oscillation of the lever 27 is limited by the stopsso that the apron is prevented from turning too far. The provision ofthe tension roller prevents any slack in the apron. The spring orsprings 32 hold the lever 27 normally horizontal and hence the pawls outof engagement with the ratchetwheel, so that by properly turning theknob 15 the apron may be set as desired.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

In a device of the character described, a

casing having a sight opening and a slot, winding rollers within saidcasing, an indicator apron upon said rollers adapted to travel acrosssaid sight opening, meshing gears upon the shafts of said rollers, aratchet wheel upon the shaft of one of said rollers, a lever pivotedintermediate its ends upon the shaft carrying the ratchet wheel, pawlspivoted upon the opposite ends of said lever and adapted to engage saidratchet wheel, springs for holding said pawls away from said ratchetwheel, means for limiting the swinging movement of said pawls, leafsprings engaging the opposite ends of said lever for returning it to itsnormal position, a T-shaped bell crank, loose connections between theopposite arms of said bell crank and said pawls, the third arm of saidbell crank being adapted to project through the slot in said casing,bell hammers upon the third arm of said bell crank, and a bell arrangedin the path of said hammers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES A. UTZ.

Witnesses W. U'rz,

HENRY SCHARD'I.

